Target Shooting on Public Land, July 28, Information Class

[Argonaut]

I still cringe at the idea of paying for a permit to shoot on public lands. Propose a ballot measure.... $2000 per person shooting illegally and leaving trash, $5000 per person shooting unsafely (no backstop, over berm targets...) then make it so the fines go towards developing approved public shooting lanes.

Not bad but I want mandatory jail time to go with it.

 

[CountryGent]

I have commented on this before.........silly (or criminal) city people think they have the right to the countryside whether private or public.......they have this gun and have to shoot it (usually in an unsafe manner) and do magazine dumps on an old TV or whatever, and leave the trash. I consider the practice a real threat to our shooting sports. People (particularly non shooting hikers and tree huggers) will align to restrict shooting on public grounds if we shooters can't get control of these dangerous slobs. If you shoot, pick up EVERYTHING, including brass and like many of us do, pick up what you can of what the miscreants have left before you. The other thing I find with these people is they don't like the safety restrictions on a formal range.......that should tell you something.........they don't care or have the discipline to be a safe shooter. None of it will come to anything good.

^ Totally agreed.

I have found evidence of trespassing cretins shooting on our property, which grinds my gears. Friends and family who have permission are most welcome. Trespassers who leave their crap behind are not.

Parenthetically, I/we do 95-98% of our shooting on our own land now. If/when I ever get back to hunting, that ratio will change a little. The routine jackassery we encountered at the local gun club, coupled with moving, ended or membership there. Though I can still go there with a day pass if I need to do something involving long rifle ranges. But that is another topic unto itself.

 

[Mark W.]

The land up Crooked Finger is private timber land. Weyerhauser I believe. So you can see how their sense of humor about this kind of crap would result in them protecting their investment.

 

[Member 34319]

I find that even folks on this site don't always know the rules. Or they do and choose not to follow them because the pack out all the trash and non legal targets.

It really is a hard battle. Bill and I fight it on as many angles and fronts as we can.

Education is huge. We can all play a hand in education. However, I've even seen some teach folks wrongly, simply doing a good thing, but not knowing what they were teaching was incorrect. Hence the need for education.

As for the permits go, I think most here in this thread have heard my pitch before...

I do think it would be good to have a permit to shoot on public lands. At least in one of the state forests as an experiment. Just as the North Fork Wolf Creek shooting lanes are an experiment to see how the community of recreational shooters would handle them.

It won't happen without politics. So it won't happen right away. But it could be seen as a positive influence by political leaders on the opposite side of ours. In other words they may actually pass a bill that allowed fee regulations, a tax basically, to shoot on a certain state land. Then that revenue could be used, as is certain revenues generated for off-road use, on furthering shooting lanes or even a range.

I know most think they pay taxes, so WTF right?

Well you would be wrong. Little to no tax revenue is actually going to our ability to recreationally shoot on public lands. Well unless you consider the funds the Oregon Department of Forestry used to make the four lanes in Tillamook. Which would never have happened without our, the recreational shooter, involvement.

So we aren't getting any money, and folks are ignorant to the rules, and a list of many things.

Thankfully I enjoy taking on all of this. I enjoy spreading the word and talking to folks about shooting on public lands.

I'm not alone, and more and more have been getting involved.

It's got no where to go but up!

Ok, I'll stop typing now.

 

[PMSfishy]

New to the area, I'll try and stop by.

Any chance of 'practical training' after the meeting?

 

[Cogs]

In the class this Sat 7/28, we'll cover the required Fire Prevention Gear you need to take in the Fire Season. Will also discuss how a fire could start while target shooting.

Information Class

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[Stomper]

Location: Sportsman's Warehouse, 18645 NW Tanasbourne Dr, Hillsboro, OR 97124

Free and open to the public.

View attachment 480254
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The class will cover topics such as:

Where to shoot?
What to shoot?
How to be legal?
Are there any rules?
Can I shoot milk jugs and propane tanks? Tannerite? Tracer Rounds?
Group shooting & sharing.
Etiquette.
Ethics.
Basic firearms safety rules.
Fire/public/personal safety.
What's at stake and how does that effect the next generation?
and more...

Information Class

Hey Bill,

For those of us who live & die by a tightly regulated schedule, what's the expected duration of this training class?

 

[Cogs]

So far they've been running about 1 hour. Depends on how much conversation we have throughout.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Location: Sportsman's Warehouse, 18645 NW Tanasbourne Dr, Hillsboro, OR 97124

Free and open to the public.

View attachment 480254
​

The class will cover topics such as:

Where to shoot?
What to shoot?
How to be legal?
Are there any rules?
Can I shoot milk jugs and propane tanks? Tannerite? Tracer Rounds?
Group shooting & sharing.
Etiquette.
Ethics.
Basic firearms safety rules.
Fire/public/personal safety.
What's at stake and how does that effect the next generation?
and more...

Information Class

Thanks for holding this class. I'm new to this forum and definitely plan on going. This class is about public land but just FYI I've worked with hundreds of farmers over the years and the #1 reason they stop letting people shoot or hunt is due to the mess. It seems like if we could somehow get across a message of "pack out your own trash, and also whatever you can pick up of what is already there" that would go a long way towards keeping shooting places open (if people listened and did it I mean). I suppose the worst offenders don't read this forum though... Anyway thanks for putting this on. Much appreciated.

 

[Cogs]

Thanks for holding this class. I'm new to this forum and definitely plan on going. This class is about public land but just FYI I've worked with hundreds of farmers over the years and the #1 reason they stop letting people shoot or hunt is due to the mess. It seems like if we could somehow get across a message of "pack out your own trash, and also whatever you can pick up of what is already there" that would go a long way towards keeping shooting places open (if people listened and did it I mean). I suppose the worst offenders don't read this forum though... Anyway thanks for putting this on. Much appreciated.

Yeah, we're pretty much the Choir. But this forum helps us get our ducks in a row so we protray the same message.

Thanks for the feedback and insight to private land owners.

 

[Argonaut]

Yeah, we're pretty much the Choir. But this forum helps us get our ducks in a row so we protray the same message.

Thanks for the feedback and insight to private land owners.

Don't short change yourself, this is a great example of shooters policing themselves........you are doing god's work here. You will change the attitudes and actions of some people.........very important work.

 

[Cogs]

...you are doing god's work here.

Every time you hear the ping of a steel target, a shooter gets his wings!

 

[Cogs]

Every time you hear the ping of a steel target, a shooter gets his wings!

I couldn't resist...

​

 

[Member 34319]

See you all there, well those of you from NWFA that are coming.

 

[Sporting Systems]

Great work Bill.

 

[Cogs]

Great work Bill.

Thank you Dan

 

[Rem700..300]

Hope the class went well. We are visiting just Southwest of Grants Pass and it is beyond dry and getting ash fallout from the fires. Strong emphasis on the fire prevention.

 

[Cogs]

Hope the class went well. We are visiting just Southwest of Grants Pass and it is beyond dry and getting ash fallout from the fires. Strong emphasis on the fire prevention.

​

Yes it did go well. We only had 7 on the sign-in sheet and a couple bystanders. It was great to have the help of @Kristina , @FordPrefect and @Reno911 . Also great to see @Cosimel and @Koda !

​

Lots of talk on fire prevention and experiences encountered in the woods associated with fire starts.

This was the 3rd class and now getting a better feel for it. I think I'll thin it down some and make it more of a half hour class. I sense an hour class is a bit long for many folks on a weekend and we don't need to go into so much depth on some of the topics. It's all good stuff but certainly can hit the point in shorter order. Learning as we go!

I gotta say Thanks to Sportsman's Warehouse for the venue to host this class. All 3 stores have provided their space at no charge to us. And, since we don't have a projector and screen yet, the Vancouver store has loaned us the projector for each class! Gotta get one of those for Trash No Land!

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Bill

PS: Special shout out to FordPrefect for the gift of SIGHTS! Since I haven't gotten around to putting sights on my AR, he gave me some open sights! Now I can shoot it!!! Thanks Rick! But now I'll have to wait for the weather to cool down... bummer.

 

[Member 34319]

I did not realize @Koda was there. Sorry I didn't get to formally meet.

 

[Koda]

I did not realize @Koda was there. Sorry I didn't get to formally meet.

My bad, I was the guy a few minutes late in the back. I chatted with the gentleman I sat next to for a bit and I think we all did chat for a minute then but then I caught Cogs for a bit and then didn't see you after I chatted with him, I was hoping to formally introduce myself to you too. I came cause this is my area (thats store has took a lot of my money... ) and wanted to show support for the class all of you are doing a great job with it.